ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (March 25, 2025) -- The Pirates earned a 12-11 victory in what was a taut rivalry tussle against the Bay Rockets on a chilled Tuesday evening at Rocky River Stadium. The River Raiders battled back from an early 5-2 deficit, and seven players found the back of the net, as the squad remained undefeated on the young season.
Rocky River (2-0, 1-0 Northern Ohio Lacrosse League) found itself down 5-2 when the War by the Shore headed into the second stanza.
"I think starting the game being down like that really got in the girls' heads," said coach Erin Mitchell. "But we've been really focusing on the mental side of our game and learning to shake things off, have fun, and play the game."
What played out next was a key three-goal run for the Pirates. Ellie Holton, Addie Tisler, and Grace DeWitt all scored before the midpoint of the second. Gracie Fitchpatrick scored to put Bay (1-2, 1-1) back in front (6-5) at the 4:41-mark of the second. But River then leapfrogged the Rockets with a 3-1 advantage through the balance of the second, and the Pirates went into halftime leading 8-7. The Pirates outshot their visitors 8-3 in that second frame.
Jill Tennant and Layla Meaux netted the first two goals of the third, and that put Bay back in the lead, 9-8. Rocky River countered with goals by Clara DeWitt and Addie Russell, and the Buccaneers regained the lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Elle Mocho upped the River lead to two (11-9) with her sixth goal of the season at 11:06 of the fourth. The Rockets would get two grade-A saves from goalkeeper Sophia Crimaldi and two scores of their own -- Meaux at 9:53 and Tennant at 5:27 -- to send the game into the final five minutes tied at 11-11.
That tie was broken by a nifty River goal off the ride less than-two minutes later. Addie Tisler created a spill near the Bay goal. Clara DeWitt pounced with a ground ball and fed Mocho, who planted her second goal of the quarter. The artful play was the 13th tie or lead change of the game.
Rocky River has now played thru 22 such ties and lead changes through just two games. That's a lot shake-things-off-and-play opportunities for Erin Mitchell's squad.
"The girls are playing for each other. They have their teammates' backs.
And when the Pirates get back at it -- Thursday at 7 p.m. at Avon Lake -- they will do so with an unblemished 2-0 record.
CANNON FIRE ...
BOX-SCORE HIGHLIGHTS: Shots were an even 23-23 exchange. River held Bay to a 10-of-18 (55.6%) mark on clears and finished as a plus-4 (15-19) in turnovers. The Pirates won 14 of 27 draws and had 15 ground balls to the Rockets' 12. Clara DeWitt (goal, three assists), Grace DeWitt (1G, 1A, three caused turnovers, four draw controls), Ellie Holton (2G, 2A), Elle Mocho (2G), Addie Russell (2G, 4 DC), Addie Tisler (2G, 2A), and Emma Yezbak (2G, 3 CT) were box-score notable for River. Layla Meaux paced Bay with 5G, 3A and 7 DC. ... Holton's scores marked the first of her career.
BUCS & BAY: Rocky River, now 9-3 across its last dozen games against the Rockets, got a measure of retribution for Bay ousting the Pirates in the DII Region 5 title game (7-5 Rockets win) in last year's Buckeye State playoffs. The last five River-Bay meetings (three Pirates wins to two for the Rockets) have seen four games decided by two goals or less.
by Skip Snow
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